The Michigan Wolverines have just two losses this year but still have a fairly tame resume. That’s a reputation center Patrick Kugler and his teammates hope to change.
We’ve been pretty cool on Michigan as a legitimate contender all year here at Sportsnaut, and we’re not alone. The Wolverines have a quarterback problem, and they haven’t won a single game against a team with a winning record so far.
So it’s not all that surprising that the polls have Michigan in the late-teens heading into Week 12. The team knows the playoff is out of reach at this point, but there is still fun to be had.
“I think we’ve kind of taken the role of the villain, a little bit,” Kugler said Monday, per William Kosileski of Land of 10. “People have been doubting us, saying we haven’t beaten a team with a winning record this year. That’s kind of the big one that’s going around right now. The next two games are the big ones, Wisconsin and Ohio State. If we can come out on top, hopefully the villain wins. And that’s kind of a fun role to play.”
Next up is Wisconsin, which has yet to lose a single game. The contest is being held in Madison, Wisc., which obviously gives the Badgers a huge boost. If they win out, there’s a good chance they’ll earn a playoff spot, regardless of their strength of schedule (a point of contention for many).
Michigan hopes to play spoiler Saturday, and in Week 13 as well when it hosts Ohio State.
“Its just kind of fun to ruin people’s season,” Kugler said. “We can be 10-2 and still win the Big Ten championship. To do that, it’s just kind of fun to go in there, especially to go into a hostile environment at Wisconsin, and come out with a victory. Nothing better than that.”
If the Wolverines do win out and finish with a 10-2 record heading into the Big Ten Championship, it’ll have a huge impact on the CFP committee’s decision-making process. It’ll also mean the Big Ten has a very good chance of being left out of the playoff altogether.
That sounds perfectly villainous. Let chaos reign!